Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe

Attending the 16th Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe (CBSE), “Converging Paths: The Baltic Between East and West,” at Cambridge University was an incredibly enriching academic and professional experience, which would simply not have been possible without the generous conference travel grant provided by the European Studies Council.  As a student primarily based in the United States, this conference offered a unique opportunity for me to engage with current scholarly trends and emerging research directions in the European knowledge production within Baltic Studies. As a young scholar about to begin my PhD in History, the opportunity to present my most recent research project—exploring regionalism as a political concept that animated mass politics in the western borderlands of late imperial Russia—was one of the most formative moments of my early academic career. This experience was invaluable for developing my academic presentation skills, particularly in condensing and effectively conveying months of granular, context-specific research into a fifteen-minute talk—a skill I recognize I must continue to hone. Receiving insightful comments and feedback from both the audience and the panel chair, Eva Piirimäe of the University of Tartu, was especially helpful in refining my thinking about how to advance my current project into PhD research. In particular, the feedback has prompted me to explore more the logic and actors at work in constructing mental geographies and concepts of regionalism within empire. 

The CBSE conference was also an excellent opportunity to expand my professional network and build connections for future academic collaborations. I organized a dinner meeting with members of the REEESNe Baltic Studies Student Working Group who also attended the conference. As we usually meet only via Zoom, this rare chance to gather in person allowed us to reconnect, discuss ways to further develop this student initiative, and strategize about next year’s concept and theme. I also used the conference to connect with other scholars and students in the field and to invite them to participate either as guest speakers or regular members of the Working Group.